DISCLAIMER: The time for any disclaimer has long passed.
This story is what it is, and I’m proud of it.

7DiP Info: Started May, 1998; Finished September, 1998. The story takes place
after the third season: Gabrielle had sacrificed herself to destroy Hope, falling
into Dahak’s pit and dying in Xena’s place.

The Vesuvius eruption chapter was posted on August 24, the anniversary of
the eruption in 79 AD.

To the Pompeians who are frozen in time, your fate will haunt us forever …

SEVEN DAYS IN POMPEII

BY DJWP

Chapter 1

Xena stood before the ocean, staring out to sea. A strong wind slapped a light
ocean spray against her skin, and darkening sky offered little warmth. She
stood, unfeeling; staring at the disappearing sun wishing desperately that
she could follow its path down into the depths of the ocean and leave this
life of endless pain and torment forever.

She couldn't remember how she came to be here. She recalled mounting Argo
and leaving the temple of Dahak in an empty daze. Without so much as a glance
back, she left a dead Callisto, a grieving Joxer, a score of villagers, death
and destruction and whatever gods were still alive to fend for themselves.
She had done enough, sacrificed enough, been wounded down to her very soul.
Half-heartedly, she turned Argo in the direction of the forest and then allowed
the horse to take her wherever the mare chose.

The faithful war horse brought her to the ocean as though the mare knew this
particular location alone could help the stricken warrior.

Of all the places, Xena found herself staring out to sea from the very spot
where she and Gabrielle had frolicked upon their return from Illusia. Her heart
should have been breaking apart in her chest from the weight of those memories.
Somehow, though, she felt only peace.

Xena closed her eyes and let the memory of their reunion fill her emptiness.

"Home at last, Gabrielle," Xena whispered to no one but the sea.

Wiping dripping ocean spray from her face, Xena turned to walk back to the
shelter of the cliff and Argo where mare was waiting patiently for her in the
sand.

Xena looked up from the sand at her horse and managed a small smile.

"Well, I'm glad someone around here is thinking," she said, glancing
at the large piece of driftwood the mare was standing near.

"Found some wood for a fire, huh girl? I guess we're staying the night."

Xena looked round and shrugged. She could care less where she camped - tonight
or from now on. Nothing seemed to matter. Feeling her heart sinking quickly,
she decided to get to work on a fire... to distract her thoughts, if nothing
else.

A bit of chopping and in a few moments, a small fire was lighting the cliff
wall with a soft glow. By this time, the sky had lost most of its color, turning
Xena's world from vibrant gold to deep blue.

The warrior sat on a thick piece of leftover driftwood; the rest lay in a
pile of chopped pieces at her right waiting to be fed to the fire. Argo stood
silently, ready for her mistress to perform the rest of her usual nightly routine:
removal of the itchy and sweaty saddle and then a nice rub down. After awhile,
it became obvious to the mare that this was not going to happen tonight. The
horse ambled off in search of some sweet grass.

Xena stared at the dancing flames for a bit before offering a piece of driftwood
to the fire. At the moment, she had no thoughts and was grateful for that.
She wistfully hoped her mind would remain still for the rest of the night,
but knew this to be impossible. The silence would not allow it.

It was so quiet.

The fire crackled. And then there was the sound of ocean waves hitting the
shore.

It was too quiet.

She removed the scabbard from her back and pulled out her sword, ready to
start sharpening. The thought of doing it made her stomach turn. She threw
the sword, sheath and all onto the sand at her feet.

"I can't stand the silence, Gabrielle," Xena whispered to the air.

She warmed her hands over the fire; the air was getting chilly.

"I apologize right now for all the times I yelled at you to be quiet."

Xena wrapped her arms around her upper body and began to rock slowly, back
and forth.

"I'm sorry for every time I ever rolled my eyes at your stories."

She closed her eyes and pictured Gabrielle in her mind, imagining the soft
smile that would grace the bard's features at the sound of Xena's words.

"By the gods, I would give anything to hear you tell one now!" the
warrior cried out to the sea.

The dead can hear your thoughts.

Xena's head snapped to Argo. She found herself staring at the bag of scrolls
strapped securely to the side of the saddle. Gabrielle's scrolls. Her stories.

The warrior stood quickly up from her seat on the chunk of driftwood and took
quick, purposeful strides toward the horse. Argo snickered softly, lifting
her head in anticipation to watch as her mistress approached. But Xena only
removed the bag and returned to her seat, without even stopping to pet her
nose.

Nope, no rub down tonight. The mare's attention went back to the grass.

Xena sat back down on the driftwood slab and fed more fuel to the fire, arranging
the wood to produce the maximum amount of light. The flames flickered a bit
higher, illuminating the warrior's features in an orange glow.

She opened the flap on the bag, pausing to run her fingers over a few scrolls
with a tender touch.

"I never helped you with these, did I?" Xena realized, caressing
the outside of the bag and looking up to the stars.

"Never asked what you were writing. Or bothered to take the time to sit
and read one of your finished stories. I told myself it was your thing. Weapons
were my thing and scrolls were your thing. I could have at least helped you
with names and places, but I never even thought to ask."

Xena shook her head, angry at herself for taking so many things for granted.

"Gods, how did you put up with me all this time, Gabrielle?"

Her thoughts ran quickly out of control, turning to memories of all the nights
and campfires they had shared together. In all those nights, how was it that
Xena managed to focus on anything and everything, but the one thing that was
the most precious to her?

"I don't even know what's in this bag!" Xena announced out loud
to the ocean air, turning briefly to Argo when the mare answered the comment
with a snort.

"Ya got that right, Argo."

Xena paused for a moment, staring at the bag and its contents before reaching
in to pull out a rolled parchment.

"I'm going to read one of your stories every night, Gabrielle, for however
long I manage to stay alive," Xena promised aloud. Hopefully not long,
followed in her thoughts.

"We'll end each day together, my bard."

She unrolled the random choice, turning the parchment slightly toward the
fire so that the light might better illuminate the carefully written words.

Xena's eyes scanned over the page, filling with warmth and sparkle.

"I feel so close to you now, Gabrielle. Like I'm sitting right next to
you."

She lifted her head and looked out at the black ocean, the night sky. She
could hear the waves better than she could see them.

"I guess maybe I am."

Her eyes returned to the parchment and she began to read:

"I should hate the sea. After all, it is Poseidon's realm that makes
my stomach turn each time I feel its heartbeat underneath my feet. It was
the ocean that brought us to Ithaca and the near heartbreak who called himself
Ulysses. And only the sea could have damned Cecrops in the name of the ocean
god to an eternity of endless pain searching for a love he might have never
found.

I should fear the sea. For it once swallowed us whole and brought out
the worst of our fears as we lay trapped within its depths. And it is those
very depths that now holds the last of my innocence in the form of a golden
ring. How easily I tossed it away, giving it up to the mer.

But mostly, it is the sea that I should curse because it carried me to
Britannia and threw me into the cold arms of evil. An evil that sucked the
very soul from me, leaving behind an empty heart - once so filled with love,
consumed so easily by hate.

And it was to the ocean she dragged me. It was over the vast water she
stood poised to throw me.

Then it was into the sea that we both plunged from lofty heights. So wrapped
up in our pain and anguish, we threw our arms around each other in one last
angry embrace and fell from the grace of love into the churning waters of
hate.

Perhaps Poseidon had his revenge after all."

Xena looked up from the scroll as she felt herself hyperventilating. Gods,
maybe this was not such a good idea. But she was compelled to read on
and so, after closing her eyes for a brief moment to calm her racing heart,
she turned her gaze back to the parchment and continued.

"But the truth of it all, is that I will forever be indebted to the
sea. I vow to sing its praises and marvel at its beauty. I promise to lay
tribute at Poseidon's shrines and gives thanks for his gift to us which are
the ocean and its entire vast splendor. I will love the great sea and give
thanks for the rest of my mortal life and beyond.

For it was the ocean that cleansed us. It was its gentle waves that carried
us back to one another. It was in the ocean's embrace where our broken hearts
were healed and our souls reunited. The kiss of the ocean blessed us that
day, even as we kissed one another.

For this alone, I could be eternally grateful.

But there is more.

It was the glorious ocean that brought us to Pompeii, and for this...the
sea will always have my heart."

"Pompeii," Xena's breath exhaled and was carried away by the offshore
breeze. The fire cracked in response and Xena looked at its blaze with unseeing
eyes.

"Pompeii," Xena repeated and a small smile found its way to her
heart.

"Thank you, Gabrielle."

Xena slipped from the driftwood into the sand and sat so that her back could
rest against the wood. She threw a large piece of log into the flame and then
stretched her legs to make herself more comfortable.

With a happy sigh, the warrior settled in to read realizing, once again, the
bard had found a way to bring her peace in the long, dark night.